The Crown's Pride
by NewFoundJoy66166
Summary: Katarina has been betrothed to Robb Stark but due to the fact of never actually getting to meet him, she has fallen in love with another. Forced to break her lovers heart, she will be sent to the Stark family as Robbs' new wife. Will she accept it?
1. Chapter 1

**It's the first chapter and it's a bit long but hopefully it's also a good start. Sorry if their is a lot spelling and grammar mistakes...it happens. Robb Stark is ****not yet actually in this chapter but we will hear of him. This is mostly the heart break of Andrew and Katarina. ENOJOY! =D**

She knew that her mother had been disappointed in her, she could hear it in her voice, see it in her eyes. It hurt her as well, knowing how fond her mother was of her, but she could not help it that she had fallen madly in love with Lord Andrew of Winchester. For years she had been confused as to why she was not betrothed to Andrew but then remembered that he was betrothed to her older sister Aurora, and her to Robb Stark of Winterfell. Her sister got to stay here at home while she had leave and live miles and miles away, far from her siblings and family. How her mother had caught them together was still unknown to her, but they both felt it incredibly important that it stayed only between them, as long as it ended that second. Now that she was of age and 17, she would be sent to Winterfell, seven moons from now. Seven moons to see her older sister wed the man that _she_ loved, to tell him that she no longer could love him, and to prepare for her own wedding.

She cried into her mother's lap, her mother gently petting her hair along with her tears "Katarina" she breathed "it is for the best my dear, we can never let your father know. It's best you forget."

How could she forget the one thing, the one person who made her happy, and her life worth living? "But I love him!" she wept "I will never love another!" she picked herself up, weak from the crying, and used her remaining energy to run and land herself on her bed only to resume her helpless weeping. Her mother only stood and bowed her head in sorrow; for there was nothing more she could do to comfort her daughter. She opened her mouth, willing to throw a few more soothing words but changed her mind knowing they would only make things worse, and with a sigh, turned on her heels and left the room. Katarina stopped for a moment, finding herself breathless and light headed. She scrambled to her feet and walked over to the silver glass, frightened of the girl starring back at her, her own reflection. Usually her mother would come into her room in the mornings to do her hair except for this one. She picked up the cloth in the bowl of water and refreshed her face, and put her hair in a soft braid. She looked into her reflection once more….presentable she thought to herself. She didn't want to look her best for what she was about to do.

Katarina took slow painful steps into the garden where she usually met Andrew. A little part of her hoped that he would not be there so that she did not have to face him, but he would never miss a moment to be with her. Finally, she saw him sitting on the stone bench whittling a piece of wood in his hand. His head rose as he heard her steps. His icy blue eyes met her emerald ones, bright and hopeful but soon with worry. She tried her best to hide her misery, but he could read her like a book.

He rushed to meet her, cupping her cheeks in his hands, trying to make eye contact which she could not find herself physically able to do. "What my love?" he tried, his worried eyes studying her face. Her hands shook uncontrollably as she placed them over his and pulled them off. She felt her soul wither away as she did it.

"I… am not your love" her voice shook with every word that left her lips. Her eyes instantly filled with tears. "You were never mi-"she took a deep breath and found strength to look him in the eyes, he deserved at least that much. "You were never mine, and I never yours. You belong with Aurora and…I" she broke down and began to weep once again. "and I to Robb Stark of Winterfell. I can never see you again the way I have." She managed to say through her weeps.

Andrew's face showed mixed emotions such as confusion and pure hurt. He took a step back which felt like a stake to her heart. She would rather be stabbed in the heart then to see her love take a step away from her like he had. "Katarina, I love you and only you!" he raised his voice in insanity "We can runaway!" he shook her shoulders "I don't love your sister… I love you I want you!" He wanted to uproar a slight bit of emotion from her but froze when she only looked down at the ground like she was in a trance. "Is this what you want?" his voice cracked in pain "You want to marry him?"

Only the birds in the garden made a sound as she kept her face fixated to the ground. He suddenly lunged at her, raising his hand ready to strike her. She saw him from the corner of her eye and coward away before he turned around and punched a stone statue instead. Her eyes widened with fear as crimson dripped from his wounded hand. "Andrew!" she screamed rushing to his aid "You're hurt."

"Don't touch me." He scowled, flinching away from her touch.

"Andrew please, we knew this would eventually happen. We were doomed from the start. Now please let me help you!" Panic filled her voice as she grabbed at his arm.

"I said don't touch me!" a tear filled his eye in which he was determined not to let escape. "It's apparent that this is what you want…so I won't stand in your way. Goodbye." He rushed away with his bloody hand cradling in his arm, leaving her only to watch him leave, with tears clouding her vision.

Katarina was now dry of tears and only sat on her bed starring at the fire; all life had left her eyes. The door opened with a bang as her father and mother entered the room.

Her largely built father knelt down in front of her and just looked at her in silence before he spoke in a deep, raspy voice "Look at me girl!" She slowly raised her eyes to meet his also emerald ones, remaining quite. "What is the matter with you? Are you sick? You haven't left this room in hours, that's no way for a girl of your status to act!" Her dead eyes shifted to meet her mother, standing at the side staring back at her in a worried manner. "Well? Speak!" he yelled.

"I'm just….feeling a little sick." She managed to say. "I just need some rest."

Her father sighed and looked back at his wife "Tanya, make sure the nurses tend to her tonight. She looks like she's dying!" he focused back to his daughter "Now you get some rest then. It is expected of you to be at your sister's wedding alive and well, and I can't have you looking like the walking dead."

His words were like a thousand knives to her skin, but she still nodded, hiding her pain. Her father marched out of the room and her mother followed but not before giving her a reassuring look and gently shutting the door.

**Please review! If I don't get reviews I won't write anymore chapters 'til I do! =)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok I'm going to say this right now, this chapter is a little slow but I had to get it out of the way. Robb will be in the next chapter. I already started writing it so it shouldn't be long. Enjoy!**

There were the sounds of running footsteps outside Katarina's door. For a moment she felt alarmed but then remembered that it was the servants and the maids preparing for her sister's wedding. When she came to this realization, she pulled the covers back over her head and clenched her eyes shut. She prayed in hopes that she could just die and be saved of this horrid day.

When she thought about it, she did feel a bit guilty. She loved her sister and wanted the best for her, but not with the man that _she_ herself loved.

There was a soft knock at the door that brought all of the bitterness back to her. "Come in." she answered lifelessly.

Evelyn, her servant, opened the door holding a light green dress in her hands, smiling as she brought it over to Katarina. "It's beautiful isn't it my lady? It was made for you as a gift, from your sister." It _was_ beautiful she thought as she ran her hand over the fabric.

"Thank you Evelyn, my sister is so thoughtful. I'll be sure to thank her as well." Katarina nodded as she forced a smile.

Evelyn giggled with joy, completely oblivious to Katarina's pain. "Well I'll leave you to get dressed. We haven't much time until the ceremony." She lightly marched out and shut the door behind her. With a deep breath, Katarina got up and walked to the mirror, practicing her smiling. She was good at faking under pressure.

**Later**

The wedding ceremony was being held in the castle with our Priest blessing the bride and the groom. She could hear the guests talking and laughing for this so called joyous occasion. She opened her sister's door and saw her surrounded by servants and her mother, all fixing something on her whether it was her hair or her dress. Aurora turned around and rushed over to her little sister, embracing her. Katarina felt her sister shake due to being nervous.

"Did you like the dress? I had it made just for you! I thought it would go perfectly with your eyes!" she grinned from ear to ear.

"Yes, it's beautiful. I can't thank you enough! But you, you looking absolutely stunning!" and this was no lie. Her sister's dress was the lightest shade of pink; some may even mistake it to be white. It also had a very light blue sash along her waist. They both had flowers weaved into their hair to match their dress.

"Alright everyone! Let us go and find our seats, it is time for the ceremony!" Her mother yelled. Everyone rushed out leaving only the sisters in the room.

"Oh Gods!" Aurora breathed "Kat, I don't know what to do! I've never been married before!"

"Well I would hope not!" they both laughed. "Aurora, no matter what…..you will always be my sister. I will always be there for you." Her eyes began to fill with tears as she pulled her sister in for another hug. "Now, let's not keep our guests waiting." She followed behind her sister and stopped right before the doors that would open to her end.

Slowly the doors did open to reveal a room full of people in awe as soon as they laid eyes on the bride. Katarina kept her eyes straight as she took the painful steps behind her sister and then finally stepped to the side. She made it her goal not lay eyes on Andrew so she looked down.

She was doing a great job of it until she heard the priest ask Andrew if he accepted Aurora to be his wife. At that moment Katarina looked up to meet Andrews's angelic face. His face was turned toward the Priest but his eyes were directly on Katarina. Her heart stopped as he looked at her with a pain that could almost drown her. He looked away and spoke the words that she imagined every night, he would only say to her one day.

"I do."

**That Night**

The feast was just as bad as she imagined it to be. Drunken men were laughing singing, while women were gossiping and dancing. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves except for Katarina of course. She decided to remove herself from the event and find her way to the gardens.

Lighting bugs fluttered around her as she smelled the fresh roses and orchids that grew. The moon and the stars were shining bright as usual. She spotted the North Star and remembered that in two days, that's the direction she would be heading, to meet her soon to be husband Lord Stark of Winterfell.

She heard soft footsteps coming from behind her but didn't bother turning around, for she knew who it was.

"You're missing the celebration." Andrew spoke from behind her. His voice sounded like music to her ears. She closed her eyes to embrace his voice but remained silent. "If you are angry with me, then I must say that doesn't make sense. I tried to-"he stopped suddenly when Katarina turned around with a force, her hair whipping with her and fire in her eyes.

"Just shut up!" she screamed "You think I wanted things to go this way! Do you actually think that I wanted to see you _MARRY_ my sister! How could you be so idiotic?" she tugged the roots of her hair before continuing "It is my duty. I will marry Robb Stark of Winterfell and become Lady Stark. I will become a Lady of the North, far away from here. Far away from you." she barked through clenched teeth. She turned away before she could look into his eyes, afraid of what she might see. Her tears dripped down her cheek but she began to silently weep when she heard him take slow steps away from her. She fell to her knees with her face in her hands, completely ruining her new dress.

**Next chapter we will finally see Robb sooo yay! I hope you enjoyed and please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

The carriage traveled on the rough dirt road, making it impossible for Katarina to sleep. They've been traveling for about a month and a half, and the farther North they went, the colder it got. According to her father they would arrive early in the morning and the ceremony for her wedding would be the next day. Katarina cringed every time she heard the word "Wedding." She had very mixed emotions about the whole thing. Anger from the fact that Andrew would never be hers, and confusion because she had never actually met Robb.

Katarina noticed that she had been drifting off to a sleep when the carriage went over a rock, shaking everyone from their seats.

"You dumb sons of whores! If we don't arrive in Winterfell in one piece, I will have all your heads on spikes!" Her father screamed making sure the men holding the reins heard.

"Apologies my Lord." The young man replied.

Katarina smiled to herself amused but that smiled faded all to soon when her eyes fell on her sister who was fast asleep with her head on Andrew's shoulder. As if he sensed her gaze, Andrew turned his head and looked at her emotionless. She wanted to look away but couldn't help but feel challenged not to. Her mother came to the rescue by gently landing her hand on top of Katarina's. She squeezed her mother's hand and offered her a smile.

"You remind me so much of your brother." Her mother whispered "He had that same worried look on his face when he was going to get married."

Katarina instantly swallowed tears when her brother was brought up. Her older brother got married about 3 years ago, she remembered the day vividly. Him and his wife had instant chemistry unlike she'd ever seen. Unfortunately her brother was killed at war a year ago, and missed the birth of his son.

"He would of wished to be here today, to see how nervous you look, and poke fun." Her mother giggled.

Katarina could only smile at the truth but then averted her attention back to the window.

**Next Morning**

Usually when morning came, Katarina would be greeted with rays of sun in her room, but not this time. This time she was greeted with gray skies. A soon as they emerged from the forest, Winterfell was clearly ahead of them, standing honorably tall. Katarina found herself desperate to get in a deep breath, but fell short.

She quickly ran her fingers through her hair to try to make herself look somewhat presentable, as the carriage came to a stop. Aurora looked to her sister, giving her a quick reassuring smile, but Katarina grew too nervous to return the smile. The door to the carriage swung open giving her the urge to vomit, but she kept herself as composed as she could. Her father stepped out first then her mother followed along with her sister and Andrew.

As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, the cool air hugged her body completely to the point where she saw her own breath in front of her. The Stark family all stood in a line in order of age. Katarina followed her family's lead and walked up to each one to greet them with an acknowledging nod. It seemed as though everyone in Winterfell was there, bearing a hole through with their eyes. It made her feel slightly uncomfortable but she just cleared her throat and walked up to who she expected to be Lord Eddard Stark. He stood tall proud with his furs wrapped around him.

"Lord Stark." She said as she bowed her head.

"Welcome to Winterfell." He smiled warmly "It's a pleasure to finally have you here."

She felt slightly better knowing that she was welcomed by her new family. She moved on to Lady Catelyn who stood gracefully with a smile on her face.

"Welcome my dear." She whispered.

"Thank you." Katarina replied, mimicking her light smile.

A thousand years could not have prepared her for who she was to meet next. She kept her eyes on Lady Stark for as long as she could before she had no choice but to turn to Robb. The man that stood before her had strikingly blue eyes, with the lightest shade of brown for hair. He resembled his father but obviously a much younger version, and more handsome. The rumors she had heard of him were justified at this point. He was beautiful. She snapped back into reality but was still found speechless so she just bowed her head. He watched her intensely with a slight smile, and bowed his head in return.

She met the rest of the family and later was shown to her room to freshen up before breakfast. Her room was a bit cold just like the rest castle but it wasn't unbearable. Her mother lightly knocked on the door.

"Come in." she said as she knelt down by the fire place, warming her hands.

Her mother came in and set something down on her bed. Katarina didn't even bother to look but just starred at the dancing flames.

"It's a dress made of heavier material. Obviously it's a bit colder up North, this will keep you warm." She said as she joined her daughter in front of the fire.

Katarina turned her head and eyed the emerald dress that lay on her bed. "I feel as though everyone is giving me dresses." She smiled.

Her mother giggled "Well it's not over. Tomorrow you will be receiving your wedding dress."

_Again, the word wedding._ It wiped the smile clean off Katarina's face, and her mother noticed but ignored it. "Everything will be alright, you'll learn to love him" she added before getting up and leaving the room.

She didn't think it was right to learn to love someone, but she had no choice. The only happy ending here would be for someone to slit her throat.

**Breakfast**

Her shoes clicked against the stone floor as the servant led her to the dining area. She felt somewhat relived when she saw a spot open between her sister and mother and quickly rushed to it. Across from her sat Robb, who smiled and nodded at her after she sat down. Lucky for her, mostly everyone at the table was engaged in a conversation, leaving her to eat her meal in peace without having to speak. Her father and Lord Stark talked politics, while her mother, sister, Sansa and Lady Stark all talked of preparations for the wedding. Arya was having an animated conversation with the bastard son who she had not got a chance to meet yet. Bran was keeping Andrew amused with his talk of archery.

"I feel a bit left out." She looked up after hearing his voice for the first time.

"You as well as I" she laughed after the initial shock.

"So what do you think of Winterfell so far?" he asked curiously.

Katarina had to think for a while "um it's…cold." They both shared a laugh "I haven't really gotten a chance to see it. I just feel out of place for now" She replied.

"Well it's only normal for newcomers." He shrugged "You think it's cold now, you wait. Winter is coming." He added, his face suddenly hard. She noticed that Lord Stark gave his son a look after he said that.

Her eyes shifted between the two until Ned looked away from his son. She felt a bit uneasy, figuring that they knew something she didn't.


	4. Chapter 4

**First off, I would like to thank everyone for their awesome reviews and/or favoriting my story! Your words go a long way and inspire me to write more! I don't know why, but I just decided to do something funny with this chapter and show Kats personality a little more so I did =D Read the bottom for what will happen next chapter. Enjoy!**

After the all too awkward breakfast, Katarina made it her plan to escape from everyone and explore Winterfell and all its glory. She walked down the never ending hallways looking for a way out of the castle, and the fact that she had drank red wine for the very first time in her life this morning didn't make it any easier. She initially thought it was cider and nearly spit it out, but felt a little rebellious and drank nearly 2 glasses of it, secretly of course. She stumbled a couple times over her own feet, giggling to herself at how silly she must have looked.

"My lady, are you alright?" a servant gently tapped her shoulder, startling her.

"What….uh yes! Everything is….swell." she sang, making the servant smile suspiciously. "Actually, I was wondering how to get outside of the castle?" she asked looking around her.

"Just keeping walking this way and to the right, you'll find your way out." She replied, pointing down the hallway.

"Thank you! And what is your name?" she asked curiously, feeling herself sway a bit.

"You are welcome my lady. My name is Lily." She answered bowing her head.

"Lily, such a pretty name" the woman was probably a few years older than she, maybe 20 or so with shoulder length blonde hair in a braid. "Well I'll be on my way then, good day to you."

Katarina turned on her heels leaving no time for reaction, and walked down the hallway like the woman had said, trying her best to at least look sober. The cool air hitting her face was just what she needed when she finally got outside. Without looking at the direction she was walking, she bumped into someone and fell flat on her behind. In any other instance she would have stood on her feet, but this was a special circumstance.

The man looking down at her seemed to be around the same age as Robb, his eyes also blue, but more like steel, and something unsatisfactory hid behind them.

"I think it'd be smarter if you kept your eyes in front of you where they belong." He said through an arrogant smirk. She already didn't like him.

"I would think you would be more considerate of my size." She stood up, glaring at him every step of the way.

"Size doesn't matter, you bumped into me." He replied trying to prove a point in a snobbish manner.

She shook her head and tried to walk past him, but he blocked her way. She took a step back and crossed her arms impatiently. "What?" she snapped growing more and more annoyed.

"I don't think I've ever seen you here at Winterfell. What is your name?" he demanded.

Katarina opened her mouth about to answer equally to his arrogance but before she could, the bastard son walked up from behind him.

"Watch your tongue Greyjoy. Robb won't be happy about you terrorizing his soon to be wife." The bastard answered glancing toward her direction. She offered a thankful smile and he returned it.

"I only take orders from Lord Stark. Not from your brother and most certainly not from you bastard." His voice was calm but his steel eyes showed otherwise.

"Would you like to take this matter to Lord Stark then? See what he has to say about your manners with the new Lady Stark?"

The black haired boy called his father Lord Stark and she found it a bit odd. Bastard or not, your father was your father which gave you the right to call him so.

"That won't be necessary," The steel eyed boy gave her a small nod, but she knew it was the last he wanted to do. He stormed off, cursing under his breath.

"That's Theon Greyjoy, my father's ward. A hostage to Winterfell since childhood" He said, filling in the gap between them. She couldn't imagine a place like Winterfell holding a child hostage, there must have been a good reason.

"Well he's an ass." She blurted. She cupped her mouth with both hands after realizing what she had just said in total embarrassment. The boy seemed more amused than shocked at her outburst. Guess the wine was still in her system.

"My name is Jon Snow." He managed to say through his chuckling.

"Katarina Dacre." She smiled.

"I know. You seem to be a popular topic around here."

"Apparently not everyone is aware of who I am yet," She shrugged "or more so what I look like."

"Enjoy the feeling; soon everyone will know who you are." He explained. She felt a little shaken by the fact and tightened her lips. "Trust me; it's better to be acknowledged then to be ignored".

When he mentioned being ignored, she wondered if he was talking about himself, but didn't dare to ask. Before she could reply, he excused himself and carried on.

**Noon**

There was a cope of trees that she spotted ahead and although it was inside the castle walls, it was still somewhat secluded. The thought of getting lost did not cross her mind for she was too busy admiring the beauty of nature. She stopped for a moment to listen very closely, and heard what seemed to be a woman humming a familiar toon. She followed the voice into a clearing, where it was the loudest. The ground was covered in beautiful red leaves and there stood a tree, with a face carved in it. The tears that ran from the eyes looked similar to blood but were most likely just sap from the tree. In front of it sat her sister, singing a lullaby their mother would sing to them when they were children.

Aurora was startled by the rustling footsteps and turned around alert for whatever it was. Her face softened when she saw that it was her sister.

"You scared me half to death Kat! "She complained "Come, sit."

Katarina joined her sister in front the tree and its eerie face. "What are you doing here on your own?"

"I've come to pray to the old Gods." She mused "I'm hoping they will listen."

Katarina looked at her sister, utterly confused "Old Gods?"

"This tree is Weirwood." She gently grazed the roots. "It was held as sacred to the Children of the Forest and the First Men. Its leaves and sap are blood-red and its bark is pale. The face you see was allegedly carved by the children of the forest, who believed in the old gods. Unfortunately the Children of the forest have not been seen for thousands of years." She sighed.

"hm. " she breathed, feeling a little bitter that her sister knew about her new home more than she did.

Her sister read her face and with a smile, changed the subject. "Are you nervous about your wedding night?"

"Extremely! I wish I could just….. be someone unimportant so I wouldn't have to do it." She played with a fallen leaf in her hand.

"It's not that bad, it will hurt at first but-"she was cut off.

"Wait! I thought we were talking about my wedding night!" her eyes widened with panic. Her cheeks turned pink from the subject which never crossed her mind until this very moment.

"It is what I'm talking about. Your wedding night." He sister giggled emphasizing the word 'night'.

"No, I thought you meant wedding night as in, the feast and the dancing and so on." It may have been her sister, but she wanted to avoid this conversation until the day she was buried six feet under.

"Katarina, don't be so naïve. I'm your sister and," she looked around "no one is here to hear us."

"Aurora please." She pouted.

"Oh fine." Aurora gave in, lightly bumping her sisters' shoulder. She paused for a moment and studied her, "Have you…..have you been drinking?" she asked suspiciously.

Katarina responded by bursting out in laughter, her sister soon joining in.

"Father will kill you if he finds out!" Aurora was always the one to follow rules, but she never told on her sister.

"Oh I hope so." She chuckled, falling on her back to stare up at the gray sky "Dear…old Gods!" she screamed through her grin "Why have you forsaken me!"

"Shhh!" Aurora hissed "if anyone hears you making fun of the old gods, they will kick you straight out. Besides, these are your gods now too."

Katarina sat up and stared at the blood like tears. Her sister was right, these were her gods now. This was her home now. The Starks were her new family. When her real family left, she would not be leaving with them. It never hit her this hard until now.

She couldn't find the energy to smile so she just let it fade. She crawled closer to the tree and knelt to level with its carved face. Without her sister hearing she whispered "Please, give me strength to do this."

**So next chapter will be the wedding! It was going to be this chapter but it got much too lengthy and I try to release a chapter every other day. I hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 5

**So we finally get to see the wedding this chapter! Yay! There may be a lot of grammar mistakes in this one because it's very late right now. So sorry in advanced. I hope you enjoy!**

It was her first night at Winterfell, and the last night she would sleep alone as an unwedded woman. The fire burned and cracked, giving off of the heat that she needed. She wasn't used to the cold. Katarina stood in front of her mirror, brushing threw her waist length chestnut hair. It had been a while since she had admired her femininely chiseled face. Lately, anytime she looked in the mirror it seemed as though she stared straight through herself.

Her attention was pulled when she heard a sweep sound come from behind her. She watched the door preparing to welcome in whoever it was, but it remained shut. Her eyes fell to the floor to find a letter lying there. It may have only been a letter, but something passed to her in such secretive manner, made her wonder and hesitate to pick it up.

Finally, she fled to the letter and brought it to the fireplace which provided her some light.

_My love, _

_I only wish that you hear me out. By my sending you this letter should be enough to prove my undying love and devotion to you. If anyone was to see this, many things would be at stake. Tonight, when the moon is at its highest, I will wait for you by the Weirwood. If you do not wish to see me, then I must say my heart will bleed, but I understand. _

_Yours truly,_

She stopped reading before she got to the name. She knew exactly who it was that wrote that letter and had no intention of seeing his name. Shutting her eyes, she threw around the idea of actually leaving the castle in the dead of night. With sigh her decision was made, she would go. In fear of anyone coming across the letter, she tossed it into the fire and watched it curl into nothing but ashes.

**Midnight**

Katarina crept around the castle making a sound equivalent to a ghost. Her black cloak hung just before her eyes, also covering her gentle curls that would have given her away if seen. To her benefit, the castle seemed lifeless, making it easier to escape.

The cold bitter night caused her to pull her cloak tighter to her body as she tried to retrace her steps to the Heart of this place. Like a spy, she hid, ran, and found her way to the middle of the forest.

The warmth of her breath showed in snow white fog in front of her. Focusing on slowing down her breathing, it came quite easy when she saw Andrew who was kneeling before the tree, his back turned. He was aware of her presence, she knew it. But he wanted to be approached, so she granted him that. Not a word left either of their mouths when Katarina gently rested her hand his shoulder. He inhaled deeply but continued to hang his head.

"You wished to see me?" she asked coldly.

"You did not wish to see me?" he asked after a long silence. He lifted his head, but still faced the tree.

"Don't be a fool Andrew"She scoffed. Finally, he stood up and slowly turned to face her. Katarina's hard face softened when she saw his tear stained cheeks. A small gasp escaped her lips. "Andrew I…..I" she shook her head, not able to find the right words to say. A lump formed in her throat, making her incapable of speaking any further. Dragging his feet like a dead man, Andrew filled in the gap between them. When she was in his grasp, his gently cupped her face, studying her beauty through his tear filled eyes. She ignored his eyes.

"Look at me!" his voice seemed a bit raspy and his hands shook uncontrollably. He startled her enough to get her undivided attention. Before she could even speak, his lips met hers hungrily, and as wrong as it was, she kissed him back. His hands fell to the small of her back while she ran her fingers through his hair wildly. He began to toy with the lace that held her dress tight to her bodice and for a moment she was willing to let him take it off. The guilt slowly started to set in when she thought of Robb. He wouldn't disrespect her like she was doing to him at this moment. He was asleep in his chambers while she was with another man.

"Stop" she demanded through his kisses. Her arms reached out in front of her, putting distance between them once again.

"What is the matter Kat! What can possibly be the issue this time?" Anger rose in his voice, but Katarina was no coward.

"It's my wedding day tomorrow!" she snapped "that's the matter!" She took a couple steps back "It was a mistake to come here tonight. It proved nothing, it settled nothing…"

"It proved that you still love me." He taunted hysterically. Never in her life has she seen Andrew in this state. She felt like didn't even recognize the man. The disgust showed on her face, she was disgusted with herself as well as him.

"There was no need to prove it. You know how much I love you" She swallowed her tears "but we cannot be together and the sooner you realize that, the better it will be."

"I do not love her, I never will," he grinned devilishly "When I'm with her I think you. When I touch her, it will never be as sweet as when I touch you-"

"Don't ever send for me again, don't ever speak to me, don't even look at me!" She interrupted, hoping her words would wound him but he didn't seem at all fazed as he continued.

"I only wish I could have you for your first time, to be the holder of your virginity!" his voice grew louder and louder the further away she retreated from him. Finally, she turned on her heels and ran until not even his voice was left to be heard.

Thankfully, sneaking into the castle was just as easy as getting out. She opened her door and shut it behind her, resting her head against it. Stupidity was all she could feel at that moment. What did she expect to happen?

**Morning **

"Katarina….child, it's time to wake up." her mother lightly stroked her hair, waking her up gently as she did when she was just a little girl. She just barely opened her eyes to see her mother smiling down at her in excitement. "I brought your breakfast to your room, although you do not have much to eat it." She paced the room like a giddy little girl. Her mother loved weddings for some odd reason, especially when it was her offspring's.

"If no one was to bother you, I fear that you may never wake up!" a voice shouted from the corner of the room. Katarina propped herself up on her elbows to see her sister smiling face.

Kat only smirked while wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"Come on," her mother gestured "eat! The ceremony is at noon and you must bathe still!"

With this, she picked up a piece of crispy bacon and took a bite. She looked up to find her sister and mother starring at her impatiently so she stopped chewing and dropped the bacon. "Done" she sighed, even though she was still hungry.

**Ceremony**

Much like her sister's ceremony, Katarina stood in front of a mirror surrounded by women all gawking at her. Marriage was not a path that she would have chosen if she had the choice, but she couldn't help but smile at how beautiful she looked. Her dress was a thick material that hugged her in all the right places. Her hair hung loose in gentle curls all the way down to her waist with a crown made of blue flowers. Blue was the color of her dress, much like Robb's eyes she noticed.

"You look stunning." A soft voice came from next to her, pulling her out of her trance.

"Thank you Lady Stark." She replied with a smile and small nod.

"We are grateful to have you be a part of this family…..Although my son may not show it, he feels the same way." Lady Stark gently squeezed Kats shoulders before leaving the room.

One by one all the women cleared out until her sister was the only one left. Although she looked rather content, Katarina could tell something was bothering her. '_She knows'_ was all she could think. '_She knows of me and Andrew.'_

She was hesitant but eventually asked "Aurora, what's wrong?"

Aurora just looked down at the ground and shook her head "It's nothing important. I don't want to burden you on your special day." Her smile was extremely forced, she could see it Aurora's eyes.

"I've known you for seventeen years. You cannot hide from your sister. Now tell me what's wrong?" Kat reached out her arm, motioning her to come closer.

With a sigh Aurora continued "It's Andrew, last night he left our chambers in the middle of the night. When he came back, he looked…." She shook her head, looking for the right word. "He looked just terrible. Since the day we've been married, he's been quite cold towards me. Not what I thought a husband would be like." Aurora was hurt, it didn't take a lot to see that, and the only person to blame was herself.

Katarina cleared her throat, obviously uncomfortable with the situation. "You are the wife that any man would be lucky to have and if he can't warm up to you then maybe, you should try a little harder to warm up to him." Aurora nodded her head understandingly and planted a smile back on her face.

"You're right. Now, I believe it's for you to get married." she laughed.

Katarina walked to where the ceremony was being held and when she arrived, she felt as though she had swallowed her heart. With her sister giving a gentle push, Kat found the strength to begin to walk. Straight ahead was her intended direction, but her eyes nervously shifted from the left to right, eyeing the crowd that watched her carefully. Biting the insides of her cheeks, she tried to dig up a smile, but it seemed impossible.

Her eyes shifted to the front of her to see the man she was about to marry. Initially he looked just as nervous but after awkward eye contact between them, a genuine smile showed upon his face, triggering her to do the same. For the first time in a long time, her smile was genuine and true.

**Wedding Night**

Getting to know the people of Winterfell was not as bad as she thought. She was congratulated by many women, and received acknowledging nods from the men, who seemed to treat her as outcast not too long ago. The actual feast was over and now people were just celebrating. Katarina sat in her seat next to Robb and clapped to song that was being sung. From the corner of her eye she could see Robb, starring at her with a smirk.

"What?" she asked with a smile. They warmed up to one another incredibly, to the point where they can speak to each other without any awkwardness.

"I'm just admiring my new wife." He spoke through his grin. He took her hand and brought it to his smooth lips.

Katarina's cheeks turned pink as she giggled bashfully in response. He let go of her hand and stood gripping his glass of wine. Slowly the whole place grew silent as they faced him. He looked down at her expectedly and she quickly realized that she was to stand as well. He raised his glass to the party and Katarina followed his lead. All the men and women raised their glasses as well and cheered in unison along with wishing them good health and happiness. Her eyes grazed the smiling, slap-happy, drunken faces until she came upon one in particular. Andrew. His head hung low but he looked up at her through his eye lashes. He remained seated while everyone stood, and he looked dangerous and thirsty for a fight. She didn't realize that Robb was speaking to her.

"My lady, shall we retire for the night?" he offered, holding her hand tight in his.

She stood silent for a moment, contemplating on what to say. She swallowed hard before nodding nervously. She knew this was coming but now that it was actually happening, she just wanted to run in the other direction. He walked in front of her proudly as she followed him. This would be the first time she saw his chambers, which is now hers as well. Everyone continued to cheer which made everything worse for Kat, because everyone knew what they were going to do. She couldn't bear to make eye contact with any family members from the embarrassment. Finally they were out of sight and the cheering slowly subsided. The walk was very silent as she continued to stay behind him, and she let the gap between them grow as they got closer to their destination. He opened the door and looked back at her with a smile still planted on his face, and gestured inside with a nod.

Kat wished she could be excited at this point, but she couldn't help but feel a little cheated for being with someone she just met, but was betrothed to her life. She slowly walked in, and immediately stood by the fire. Her heart felt as if it was beating its way out of her chest. She could hear Robb removing his clothes as they hit the floor, but she only stood there, hugging herself by the warmth.

It fell silent but Katarina did not dare to turn around. She took a deep, silent breath when she heard Robb taking steps closer and closer towards her until she could feel his breath on her neck. His hands gently landed on her hips as they began to caress the perimeter. Her body tensed up immediately from his touch and he noticed because he stopped.

"I wish I knew the exact words to say to make this easier," he sighed "but I need you to understand that I am not here to hurt you in anyway."

"I know" she nodded understandingly. She let her hands fall to her sides and attempted to relax.

He began to lay gentle kisses on her neck as his hands found their way to the lace on her back. One by one, he pulled the lace while still laying kisses.

She could feel the dress begin to loosen as her breathing deepened. She kept her eyes on the fire but was very aware of what was going on behind her.

Robb undid all the lace, and slowly maneuvered the dress off of her, letting it fall to the ground, exposing her delicate naked body. He reached for her hand pulling her to face him, which she willingly did. Her eyes stayed fixated to the ground as her cheeks got hot.

He studied her body and then lifted her chin so her eyes could meet his. His blue eyes intimidated her a bit, but his face was soft and loving, not at all intimidating at the moment. His lips gently met with hers as he pulled her body closer to his. His kiss grew more passionate causing her to wrap her hands around his neck, and to her surprise she kissed him back just as passionate. He began to back her up into the bed until the back of her knees hit it. She landed on the soft bed, covered in furs, as he landed on top of her not breaking from the kiss.

She ran her hands though his hair as he moved to her neck, then down to her stomach. Her body tensed up once again. A low chuckle escaped his lips as he looked up.

"I promise. I have no intentions of causing you pain." He whispered "As your husband I'm asking you to trust me."

She listened while looking down at him. A smile grew on her face as she nodded "I trust you Robb."

**So what do you guys think huh! Sorry it took longer to post this one! Hope you enjoyed!**


	6. Authors Note

**Authors note, NOT A CHAPTER!**

Like I promised, when I hit the 12- 15 review mark, I would do something interactive with the people who like my story. So here's what you do.. . (only if you want to of course) ;)

Send me a link or give me a name of a girl who you think Katarina looks like.

Tell me a song that would best suit her story or the whole story in general.

The person who gives me the best of both will get to

Give me a character they completely made up from head to toe

Give them a role in my story

If you get chosen, I would like a summary of this character and what direction you want them to progress to throughout the story. Sound pretty fun? It will begin now and end on Thursday. The winner will get a message from me saying they won! If you don't get a message, I still want to thank you for participating and liking my story! Maybe there will be future events such as this one, giving you another chance ;) Good luck and I love you guys!


	7. Chapter 6

Katarina woke up, but kept her eyes shut and body still. Pain was the perfect word to sum up the previous night. Although she put all of her trust in Robb, it seemed impossible to accomplish without any pain, and she still felt the remnants of that pain as she laid still.  
>After gaining enough confidence, Katarina slightly opened her eyes only to see the emptiness of where her husband would have been. She felt somewhat grateful for being alone, due to a small amount of embarrassment. Wrapping the fur blanket around her, she sat up and took a good look at her new chambers which she hadn't gotten a chance to admire before. Hanging on the wall was a banner with the Stark family sigil, a dire wolf. The progress she made last night seemed to melt away when everything she laid eyes upon made her feel like an outsider. <p>

**Breakfast  
><strong>

She couldn't have felt more ecstatic when she saw the dining hall was only occupied by her sister and a girl whom she did not recognize. They spoke as if they had known each other for years; she was always envious of how quickly people warmed up to her sister. Aurora stopped mid-sentence when she spotted Katarina and gestured to the seat across from her with a wide grin.  
>Katarina quickly rushed to the table and reached for an apple, hoping to be able to embrace the silence if she had a mouthful but that was only wishful thinking.<br>"Kat, I want you to meet Rose," she gestured towards the girl "She's a maid of the Starks. As you know we plan to leave late afternoon, so you are going to need a friend. Who better than Rose?"  
>"Pleased to meet you, my lady." Rose had a head full of vibrant red hair and eyes that matched Winterfell's forest.<br>Before Katarina could even speak, she was rudely interrupted by her sister's impatient questions.  
>"So" she mouthed slowly "how was last night?" she inched closer as if the news was top secret.<br>"Fine. It was fine." She muttered. Rose and Aurora exchanged unsatisfied looks before complaining.  
>"Oh you're such a brute, Katarina! Why don't you stop torturing me and share your experience. Rose won't say a word either, right?" Rose quickly nodded in agreement.<br>Kat sighed in aggravation. "Very well, if you must know, last night was purely embarrassing and painful. There, does that fit to your liking, or shall I go further into detail?" Her sarcastic tone had a harsh bitterness.  
>Aurora tilted her head with a sympathetic smile "It will get better little sister. You have my word." She gently laid a consoling hand on hers. Katarina glanced down at her bright red apple in silence, clearly wanting the conversation to be over.<br>"I heard news of the Lannisters and King Robert coming to Winterfell days from now." Rose added, breaking the silence. Katarina heard many stories about the Lannisters, and the bad ones outweighed the good.  
>Just as she brought the apple to her mouth, ready to indulge, she nearly dropped it after what she had just heard. "Days? Why so short of notice?"<br>"King Robert left King's Landing in hopes of making it to the wedding. Unfortunately the Old Gods planned otherwise, but that was no excuse to turn back." Kat was curious on how Rose knew so much.  
>"Where did you hear this?" she asked, her voice barley there.<br>"Being a maid here has its benefits, my lady." She smirked.  
>"I only wish I could be here to see it." Aurora pouted "I hear that Jaime Lannister is the finest knight of all seven kingdoms, with hair as yellow as the heaven's light."<br>"I also heard that he is the King Slayer," Katarina muttered bluntly, not taking her eyes off of the apple she slowly devoured. Her sister narrowed her eyes while Rose smiled inwardly.  
>"May I remind you that the King he slaughtered was the mad King?" Her sister challenged.<br>"May I remind you that you are married, murdering every possibility you dream of with "Jaime Lannister" anyway" Kat responded with a winning smile. Rose's eyes shifted between the two of them in anticipation of what would be said next, but Aurora only chuckled in response, Katarina joining as well. 

**Late afternoon  
><strong>

About an hour had passed since Katarina saw her family off back to Winchester. A part of her felt relief for the fact that the trouble her family brought had left with them, but also sorrow for the fact that now she was truly alone. From her short stay here, Katarina learned that the women of the North gossiped about every little thing you could offer them, and she kept that in mind as she roamed inside the castle walls with her head held high. Sounds of iron swords clashing against one another in the distance caused unease to build up in the pit of her stomach. Her small hands gripped the sides of her dress as she hurried over to the ruckus.  
>A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she saw Robb and Jon sparring while Arya rooted for Jon and Bran for Robb. Both men had stern faces and tight jaws while they circled each other like cats. It was in her best interest to stay clear of the competitor's way so she rushed to Arya's side.<br>"Who's winning?" she whispered, not taking her eyes from the two.  
>Arya looked up and answered in pure amusement "Jon! If Jon wins it'll be great because then Bran has to give me his knights' helmet."<br>"Shut up, Arya!" Bran screamed from behind them "You're not getting anything from me because Robb will win!" Arya only basked in Bran's anger as she turned back around. "Come on Robb!" he yelled in desperation.  
>At the moment it seemed unclear who would win and who would yield, but Katarina didn't find herself rooting for either Robb or Jon. She only watched the precise and skilled movement that each one made. For a moment Robb's eyes met with Katarina's but a moment was all it took as Jon knocked him off of his feet and to the ground. Katarina discreetly covered her mouth as she giggled to herself, but it was Arya who laughed hysterically while pointing a finger at Bran who stormed off. Jon offered Robb his hand with a smug smirk planted on his face. He pulled him up and patted his back as if to show good sportsmanship.<br>"All it takes is a second Robb, and then you die." He chuckled before turning to Katarina and giving her a small nod and heading to the stables.  
>"You cost me a fight." He walked towards her with both arms stretched out on either side of him.<br>"Well If I would have known my presence was too distracting, I would have stayed inside. "The colder and colder the days got, the whiter her breath showed in front of her.  
>"Oh, I was only joking." His smile revealed a row of perfect teeth.<br>"I know, as was I." she surprised herself with the smart tongue she developed and spoke in front of Robb. To her luck he didn't seemed to mind it, in fact he may have even liked it. "I hear news of the Lannister's coming to visit, is that so?"  
>His lips tightened at the sound of the Lannister name. He looked at her questioningly before continuing "Yes, they are. They were said to arrive in a matter of days."<br>She nodded at the news she was already aware of thanks to Rose. Silence fell over them as she urged to find something to say but he beat her to the punch.  
>"It's colder than usual today; are you not cold?" he asked, noticing her hugging herself.<br>She didn't realize how cold she was until he said it "A bit. I'm use to the heat." It was another thing she could add to the list of being an outsider. When she looked up at him, he seemed out of it like he wasn't listening. His mind was elsewhere as his eyes wondered above them. Confused, she looked up to see what he was looking at and discovered Lord Stark on the balcony speaking with his bastard son. She tried to make out bits and pieces of what they were saying but "KnightWatch" was all she got.  
>"KnightsWatch." She whispered mostly to herself.<p> 


End file.
